The Programme Manager at Starcom Network has had his 2019 calypso Reading for Pleasure banned by his own radio station and the state-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
In addition to that, Ronnie De Announcer Clarke has been yanked from the popular Fireworks programme, staged annually during the hectic Crop Over season.
Reading for Pleasure, which is shaping up to be one of Clarke’s biggest hits, has apparently offended the listening ears at the Starcom Network and CBC.
Declaring that he is aware his job may be impacted, Clarke said he is contemplating taking legal action against the two stations for damages to his reputation.
The crafty social commentary which plays on the work of noted American author Eric Jerome Dickey is no longer getting airplay and the decision is not sitting well with the radio personality.
Heaping disdain on the move, the Cave Shepherd All Stars calypsonian is crying foul saying that songs such as Popsicle’s Don’t Sell Cornwall, Mac Fingall’s Tonight You Eating Bacon, John King Sing Fuh Cree and Malik’s World Cup Cricket continue to be played on
airwaves.
“Starcom Network and Redifussion have a rich history of playing songs that stand alone but people may interpret them as something else and Reading For Pleasure is definitely in those parameters and less shocking than any of them,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY.
“It takes a certain degree of cultural apathy or ignorance and sexual immaturity to only hear genitialia when there is no reference to any genitialia other than the reference to a man’s surname, a well-established author who has come to Barbados from time to time and in Barbados is well known,” he continued.
Clarke disclosed that station manager of Starcom Network, David Ellis classified the song as “smacked of vulgarity” and one that “belonged in the tents”. Clarke said he was then informed that the song would be banned from the airwaves.
Having received word that the tune would be pulled, Clarke, the presenter of Fireworks on VOB 92.9 FM, went on air last week Tuesday, and explained to listeners that his song would no longer be played. He read the email correspondence between himself and station manager David Ellis. Because of his actions, he said, he was pulled from Fireworks for the rest of the Crop Over season and has received disciplinary action.
Clarke said: “My listeners and the audience are wondering what happened to this song, I am not supposed to bring some clarity to it?
“It is nonsense about being too passionate in the delivery of the surname, I have come up with something called “dickey phobia”. Dickey phobia is the irrational fear of a man’s surname and the symptoms include banning the calypso by the announcer.”
This evening Barbados TODAY contacted Station Manager Ellis for comment but he declined.
While speaking to Barbados TODAY, Clarke criticized CBC for its lack of transparency as they were unable to give him a reason for the ban and also charged that his employer Starcom Network was trying to cover it up. He was unapologetic about the stance he has taken and claimed that broadcasters are expected to inform and keep the public aware of things that are of interest to them, and Reading for Pleasure was a topic of discussion.
Efforts to reach CBC management for comment proved futile.
The seasoned broadcaster said he was contemplating taking legal action against CBC and Starcom for damages to his reputation.
“I know my job is at stake but I don’t care about that, I stand for what is right and facts and truth,” he stressed.
Clarke argued that his only demand was for the media/broadcast agencies to retract their decision on his music. The calypsonian told Barbados TODAY he hoped the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) would not follow suit as his arrangement and the construction of his song on judging night abided by the rules.
“I can hope and pray I make it into the finals. A lot of people are concerned that with this ridiculous decision by Starcom Network and this pathetic following by CBC that the NCF will feel moved to do the same but my judging night performance spoke for itself. If you have any issues according to the rules, you present them to me once I have been selected,” he asserted. [email protected]
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Oh dear me you went after Lil rick so hard but now you can’t handle the grind lol
Stand on your ground bro
Hypocrisy at its highest,
Its all in the mind of the individual hearing the song.
He knows it belongs to the trash heap. He knows.
a sensitive population
Some one said “Christian”… If religion was a thing that money could buy.. The rich would live and the poor would die.. Back to the topic at hand.. The song in it’s own merits.. In my opinion is too “harsh”. (For the lack of a better word) for airplay.. And if one has to speculate.. It has certain connotations… Let’s keep it in the tents.. My take..
Bajans does kill me two bubadoa fah trute to many hypocrites man
You gine lose your job in these hard times over dickey?Come on Ronnie,you came from too far
Y’all don’t realize when a song is banned from radio, it makes the song more popular. More sort after. You never know, that might be the plan.
The song is complete and utter rubbish! It should be banned for just being bad. He is an embarrassment
So you gonna let a song and foolish pride make you lose a WHOLE job? I guess you ready to change careers now.
I glad worst person on fire works.
In today’s world you still have to be careful with “ the use of words”. If there was no reference to Ms. Mottley or even Carol Roberts, he might have gotten away with it. Most people seems to be offended by what they see as a sexual reference especially to these two persons. Then, to fly in the face of his employers? He might be fooling with a job that he loves very much!
The song is a great song but the Arrangement of the song is poor, he stresses too much on Dicky,Dicky, his voice and tone is what makes it vulgar and raw to the ears of the receivers.
If Lil Rick or Mac Fingall had written that song and sung it,it would have had more flare and comedy to it ,i am very sure it would have been loved by the majority.
Leave those type of songs for other people aren’t in the position he is in too,he supposed to be a Christian and a family man as well ,so he should lead by example.
So many questions. What is wrong with the song? Even if someone personally dislikes the song, why does it merit a ban? I have heard so many double entendre songs from so many people including MANY from Mighty Sparrow, the great.
I can understand a couple of days but why suspended for the rest of Crop Over? When he hosts Fireworks, a prime programme on the schedule that would bring so many ratings?
Why now? I heard the song before on CBC. The lyrics have not changed, therefore the stations need to be consistent. Mek up ya damn mind from the beginning. It makes y’all look bad.
Also, what does singing a double entendre song have to do with being a Christian? Y’all amuse me.
I like how ppl does conveniently talk about impressionable children and everyday foreign songs infiltrating our stations with their filth. All that us done is they play over the words. I just can’t with bajans and they’re judgmental thinking. It all comes down to your interpretation and clearly I could see that everyone against the song needs the church…..wunna minds DIRTY
This song belongs to the tents. I listened and laughed at it, but I did not expect airplay. I also heard Announcer being defiant on the radio and acting like the song is great, comparable to other, very cleverly written songs. Sorry, yours is not clever, yours is almost bawdy.
No my friend not this time, get your writing in check and come again. Not even for the tent. I know you can do better.
It’s a horrible song
Eric Jerome Dickey
He’s getting lots of publicity for this song now. Regardless of what we might think. It’s working in his favour.
He just sinking to new lows every single year. Just quit now Ronnie
When it comes to calypso the Barbadian public can be quite hypocritical I remember Rameses Brown singing a song f u c k tell her I call her and it was banned last year just D came out with a sound f u c k tell her I’m down in a hole and it was a big hit Mac fingall sing a song how much is that doggie in the window and Anderson blood Armstrong sign the woman wants a pokey man all of these were acceptable and went on to be big hits